The necessity and importance of meaningful interpretation in performing written music

Abstract

Interpretation of written music is the ability to realize the notes on the pages into sounds. However, the process of making these sounds meaningful is unclear and without a systematic pedagogical approach. This paper begins by addressing the distinction between music as sound and written music, and explores the role of written music as a medium to translate musical ideas into tangible visual representation. Then, the cognitive processes of interpretation of written music and meaningful interpretation is explained within the framework of level of processing and expert memory. Furthermore, I explain why memorization of music is a necessary step in interpreting meaningfully and developing musical consciousness, and how it can be encouraged in academic and pedagogical contexts.